The Cure for the Galatian Error Gal 3:1 and Occupation with the Person of Christ

Review: Faith in the Spiritual Life Gal 2:19-20: 19 For (strengthens v17) I through the Law to the Law died (aorist) I through the Law to the Law died (aorist) in order that I live (aorist) to God! I have been crucified together (perfect) with Christ 20 So (advances) I am not still living (present) In fact (advances further) Christ is living (present) in me Furthermore (advances further) the life I now am living (present) in the flesh I am living (present) in the sphere of faith, which is in the Son of God, Who loved me and Who loved me and gave Himself over as a substitute for me. gave Himself over as a substitute for me.

The Key is FOCUS: “Watch your eyes” 3:1: O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? To whom before your eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as having been crucified in the past with continuing results in the present.

Where are you looking? 1.Every downfall of a believer or group of believers in the book of Galatians has to do with loss of focus. 2.The object of our focus IS NOT OTHER PEOPLE. 3.Peter’s focus was other people in Gal 2: a.He probably first focused on the Antiochene Gentile believers. b.He became fixated at the legalistic Jewish believers from Jerusalem. Gal 2:12 c.He should have been focused on the Lord Jesus Christ. 4.The Galatians have now gotten their eyes OFF of Jesus Christ and onto humans who are trying to “bewitch” them. 5.The protection of your soul from the wiles of the Devil, his Kosmos, and the urgings of the flesh is occupation with Jesus Christ. 6.What does that phrase mean? Occupation with the Person of Christ?

Summary of the Doctrine Of Occupation with Jesus Christ I.What it is II.What it does III. How you get it IV.What it isn’t V.Why you don’t have it VI.How you apply it

Occupation with Christ: I. What it is 1.It means in Gal 2:20 that you are trusting the Lord Jesus Christ in all aspects of your life. 2.It means that you are thinking about WHAT He has done for you at the Cross. Gal 2:20 3.It means that you are remembering WHY He died for you. Gal 2:20 4.It means that every challenge, every worry, every threat, every insult, every temptation is immediately rejected in your soul because you are already concentrating on the Lord Jesus Christ. 5.It means that as you think on His Work and Love for you, you view your life from those results. 6.It means to grow in Grace and knowledge of our LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, 2 Pet 3:18.

These Add up to LOVE 1 Pet 1:8-9 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

These Add up to LOVE 1 Pet 1:8-9 Whom (JESUS CHRIST) even though (you did) not behold, you love Into Whom now not seeing but believing you greatly rejoice with happiness that is inexpressible and glorified 9 because of obtaining the goal of your faith, which is the salvation of souls.

Notes on 1 Pet 1:8-9 1.These verses specify the Person mentioned in 1 Pet 1:7 in the phrase “the Revelation of Jesus Christ.” 2.The context is about the rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ. 3.This, then, is THE critical doctrine that serves as the foundation for all post-salvation spiritual life because it is the basis for your examination. 4.The circumstance under which we love Jesus Christ is not seeing. 5.Despite our inability to see Him we love Him because we believe in what He has done for us. Cf. Gal 2:20: “Who loved me and gave Himself over as a substitute for me.” 6.The life we live begins with faith—we believe what God has said, and this causes us to love our Savior.

7.Love then is accompanied by rejoicing with inexpressible joy. 8.The joy or enjoyment of a believer rests in our faith in Jesus Christ because of His saving work on our behalf. 9.Two words describe a believer's joy in Jesus Christ: inexpressible and glorified. v8 10. Our joy is inexpressible, i.e. it defies our perception and therefore articulation, because it is God’s happiness. 11.But it is based on that which IS expressible, the Word of God. 12. Our joy is glorified, doxavzw (doxazo), because this is the experience of God. Cp. Prov 8: The key passage of 1 Peter 1:3-9 presents the relationship between the believer and Jesus Christ as one of constant focus (occupation with Jesus Christ) and total happiness (sharing the happiness of God). 14.Experiencing this change in your life depends on your faith in God’s Word.

1 Pet 1:8-9 The Word of God

Occupation with Christ: II. What it Does 1.Your whole life outlook changes as you RESPOND to His authority over your life. 2.Your response to His work on your behalf motivates your obedience. 3.Your motivation in life becomes His Glory, the exact opposite of the motivation of the flesh. 4.You make decisions in life that please Him because you know His Mind. 5.You recognize His unconditional love for you as your pattern of love for others. 6.You love unconditionally in submission to Him.

Occupation with Christ: III. How you Get it 1.God the Holy Spirit works this change in you. 2.He does this through the communication of God’s Word so that you can hear and then believe it. 3.You are given the choice to focus; He provides the ability if you choose to obey. 4.God the Spirit even motivates you to desire His work in your life. Phil 2: The Spirit works through you availing yourself to the Word of God. Jn 16:13 is the pattern starting with the Disciples 6.In every case God provides the option; you must choose it. 7.In every case, God in Grace provides the ability.

Obedience Begins with a Choice Heb 12:1-2: 1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, 1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 [by continually] fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Occupation with Christ: IV. What it Isn’t 1.Energy of the Flesh. 2.Forced on the believer by God “flipping a switch.” 3.Something an unbeliever can do. 4.Something you can achieve without the Word of God in your soul. 5.Restricted from any believer. 6.A guarantee that you will not suffer in life. 7.Something another human being can give you. 8.An emotional experience.

Occupation with Christ: V. Why You Don’t Have It 1.Unbelievers cannot receive the message of God’s Word beyond the Gospel. 2.Believers who do not consistently submit themselves to the teaching of God’s Word will fail to focus on Jesus Christ because they are not exercising their faith in His Word according to God’s design. Rom 10:17 is the pattern. 3.The Devil, his Kosmos, and the flesh are working together to fight the Spirit and the Word He teaches. 4.Any expression of the flesh, or Old Sin Nature is against what God’s Word will teach you. 5.Therefore you will begin to doubt and fail to “abide” in Christ as your spiritual life starves. 6.Believers who do consistently listen to God’s Word but fail to relate it to Jesus Christ as the object of our faith will often miss the point and fail to abide in Christ.

Occupation with Christ: VI. How You Apply It 1.If you are already “drawing near” to God in faith, there is no way you can be distracted away from that relationship. 2.Because your relationship with Jesus Christ is first and highest, no other human being or human relationship can distract you. 3.Therefore you can love people without expectation to receive from them. You have already received from Jesus Christ. 4.Because the WORST HORROR of all time was undertaken for you by Jesus Christ who “loved [you] and gave Himself over as [your] substitute” there is no trial, no test, no pain stronger or greater than your relationship with Him. 5.So you can “count it all joy” when you suffer for His glory.

Choice Again 1 Pet 3: Pet 3: Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 13 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;

Gal 3:1 “O, Foolish=non-thinking God’s thoughts Galatians! Who has hypnotized (so as to steal your attention away from its former focus) you? You before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as having been crucified in the past with results that still continue right now?

Gal 3:2 This ONLY I want to learn from you: By means of the works of the Law the Spirit did you receive or by means of the hearing of faith?!

Gal 3:3 THIS foolish are you?! Having begun (aor dep participle) by means of the Spirit, are you NOW by means of the flesh being perfected?!